Sight Post Camera for a Firearm

ABSTRACT

A firearm front sight post that is comprised of a camera assembly which captures an image or video, or a series of images or videos of what is in front of the firearm at the instant that the firearm is first fired, and at the instant that each and every subsequent shot is fired. The camera assembly is actuated by a actuation mechanism in communication with the trigger assembly of the firearm, and is activated when the trigger wall is met in the act of pulling the trigger of a firearm. The system is also comprised of a wireless transmitter that automatically sends the image/video from the camera assembly to a mobile application on a smartphone or other smart device, wherein the images/videos are encrypted, time-stamped and dated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and the benefit U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/869,938, which was filed on May 8, 2020, andclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/924,994 filed onOct. 23, 2019, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to a new and improved firearmfront sight post camera system. More specifically, the invention relatesto a firearm front sight post that is comprised of a camera assembly ormechanism which captures an image or video, or a series of images orvideos of what is in front of the firearm (e.g., a suspect in a policechase) at the instant (and just before the instant) that the firearm isfirst fired, and at the instant that each and every subsequent shot isfired. The camera mechanism is actuated by a mechanical or electricalconnection to the trigger assembly of the firearm, and is activated whenthe trigger wall is met in the act of pulling the trigger of a firearm.The firearm/camera system is also comprised of a wireless transmitter,such as a Bluetooth transmitter, that automatically sends theimage/video from the camera assembly to a mobile application on asmartphone or other smart device, wherein the images/videos areencrypted, time-stamped and dated, and a global positioning system (GPS)for identifying the location of the firearm at the time of itsdischarge. Accordingly, the present specification makes specificreference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that aspects of thepresent invention are also equally amenable to other like applications,devices and methods of manufacture.

Officer involved shootings have become common place in today's society,with many instances of the former making national headlines. Duringmedia coverage, many members of the media and/or society oftentimes castdoubt on the motives or thought process of the officer involved in theshooting incident, particularly if reports indicate that the suspect whowas shot was, or appeared to be, unarmed, a minority, or not resistingarrest. To help mitigate these doubts and resolve such questions, aswell as being used as a tool to ensure accountability of every officerand/or first responder, many law enforcement agencies have mandated theuse of body worn cameras by their members. Such body cameras aretypically worn by officers at all times while on duty, and may beattached to their uniform (e.g., in the chest or shoulder area) or wornwhile integrated into a pair of eyeglasses. Such body cameras aretypically required by each agency to be turned on at all times in aneffort to show with fully transparency the entire timeline of eventsthat led up to the point of an officer involved shooting, as well as theactions of the officer(s) during and after the shooting.

Although body cameras are effective in providing a broader context ofall factors/conditions that may have been present in a situation whichultimately resulted in an officer involved shooting, such body camerashave a plurality of inherent limitations. For example, the body cameramay be turned off by the officer (intentionally or inadvertently), ormay otherwise be incapable of precisely pinpointing the exact instant inwhich an officer elected to fire his or her weapon. In order to justifythe use of deadly force, an officer may have to subsequently prove in acourt of law that his or her actions were justified because, forexample, the suspect behaved in a certain manner (e.g., the suspectreaching into his or her pocket while being told by the officer to puthis or her hands up).

In a situation like the one described above, the precise timing of theevents that occur in a deadly force encounter are of utmost importance,and it is in such an event where the limitations of a body worn cameracan become fully apparent. For example, an officer involved in a deadlyforce encounter may state that he or she began to fire the weapon on asuspect when the suspect began to reach into his or her pocket, and thatthe officer believed that the suspect had a weapon or that the officer'slife (or the life of another) was in imminent danger. In order to proveor disprove whether this was in fact the case, body camera footage maybe admitted into evidence to justify or refute the officer's actions.However, body camera footage lacks the ability to consistently andprecisely pinpoint the exact instant in which the officer began to firehis or her weapon on a suspect. Although body camera footage can bereviewed and a general consensus may be formed as to at what point inthe encounter the officer fired upon the suspect (e.g., when the suspectbegan to reach for their pocket), the same cannot be determined withabsolute certainty. This is due to the fact that any attempt to pinpointthe specific instant and conditions in which the shots were fired arebased on an individual's subjective ability to visual estimate theprecise instant in which the first bullet is discharged from the firearmof the officer on body camera video, and what the situationalcircumstances were at that instant.

Additionally, because most firearm rounds move at or above the speed ofsound, it may be exceptionally difficult to discern from body camfootage the precise instant in which a bullet leaves the firearm of theofficer. This task can be further hindered by the potentially lowresolution of body cameras, which could make discerning the instant thebullet leaves the firearm infinitely more difficult in a trial setting.In addition to factors that include the speed of the bullet and cameraquality of the body camera, the position of the body camera on theofficer (e.g., on the chest or head area) may also hinder the ability topinpoint the precise instant in which the firearm was discharged. Thisis due to the fact that the body camera may be fully or partiallyobstructed by a portion of the officer's body (e.g., the officer's armswhile the firearm is drawn on the suspect) or the presence of cover thatthe officer may be behind when a shooting occurs, such as the door of apolice vehicle, a rock, a tree, etc. When this occurs, the surroundingenvironment, including the suspect, may not be entirely visible in thebody camera footage. Additionally, an officer's body camera could becomedislodged or be aimed or directed at a different location than thesuspect if the officer is required to, for example, give chase after thesuspect, or is involved in a physical altercation with the same. Thelack of clear and unobstructed body cam footage could significantlyhinder any attempts to prove the guilt or innocence of an officer andwhether the officer was justified in using deadly force in a givenscenario.

Furthermore, any consensus that may be reached regarding the specificinstant in which the firearm of an officer was discharged can ultimatelybe classified as subjective at best. This is true because thedetermination would likely only be made based on a visual estimation ofwhen the bullet left the firearm and the subsequent situationalconditions present during this instant, which may or may not be visibleon the body cam footage for the reasons previously stated. Since theduration of an officer involved shooting is generally extremely short,potentially fatal decisions (e.g., the decision by the officer todischarge his or her weapon) must be made in a fraction of a second,with said decision being based on a situational condition that theofficer believes that he or she is observing at the time (e.g., when thesuspect began to reach for their pocket, possibly to produce a weapon).In order to fully justify the actions of an officer, these conditionsmust be adequately documented and readily available in an unalteredstate for the potential viewing of a jury in a criminal or civilproceeding.

Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improvedfirearm front sight post camera system that allows the full situationalconditions/context of a deadly force encounter to be fully andobjectively documented at the exact instant that the firearm isdischarged, and for every instant that the firearm is subsequentlydischarged, via high quality photographs/film. There also exists a longfelt need in the art for an improved firearm front sight post camerasystem that requires no input from the user in order to be actuated, andthat documents each instance in which the firearm is discharged onphotograph/film. Finally, there exists a long felt need in the art foran improved firearm front sight post camera system that allows thedocumented photographs/film and related date (e.g., the location of thefirearm at the time of its discharge) to be automatically and securelytransferred to a mobile application on a smartphone or other smartdevice for record keeping or evidentiary purposes, preferably in anencrypted and unaltered manner.

The present invention in one exemplary embodiment, discloses an improvedfirearm front sight post camera system. More specifically, the firearmcamera system is comprised of a front sight post having an integratedcamera assembly that is in mechanical or electrical communication withthe trigger mechanism of the firearm. The camera is aimed in the exactsame direction as the bullet to be discharged from the firearm, and isautomatically and simultaneously activated when the user engages thefirearm trigger and it reaches the wall of the firearm trigger. Thepresent invention is further comprised of a Bluetooth or other wirelesstransmitter that may be housed within the frame of the firearm, and thatis also in electrical communication with the camera. The transmitterallows any video and/or photographic images recorded by the cameraassembly and related data (e.g., GPS data about the location of thefirearm) to be wirelessly transferred in an encrypted and time-stampedmanner to an accompanying mobile application on a mobile phone or othersmart device.

In this manner, the improved firearm front sight post camera system ofthe present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives,thereby providing a consistently objective and unobstructed means toobserve and discern nearly the precise instant that a firearm isdischarged in a deadly force encounter, as well as the exact situationalconditions/factors also present in said instant. In addition, thepresent invention will not interfere with the operation of the firearm,and requires no additional training/interaction from an officer/citizento actuate and use. The sight post camera of the present inventionprovides a convenient and secured means for transferring captured imagesand/or video upon discharge of a firearm to a mobile phone or othersmart device for record keeping purposes.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summaryis not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its solepurpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodimentthereof, comprises a firearm front sight post camera system. Morespecifically, the firearm camera system is comprised of a traditionalfront sight post on a firearm, such as a handgun, pistol, shotgun,rifle, etc., and an integrated camera assembly. The camera assembly isconnected via a mechanical or electrical connection to the triggerassembly of the firearm and an actuation mechanism, such that the camerais automatically actuated when a user pulls the trigger and the triggerreaches the trigger wall of the firearm, and just before the triggerbreaks and the shot is fired from the firearm. In this instant, thecamera may take a single photograph, a rapid burst of photographs, or avideo, as specified by the user via a mobile application on a smartphoneor other smart device.

More specifically, the camera assembly is also in electricalcommunication with a Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter that may bemounted within the frame of the firearm, for example, behind the recoilspring or at another suitable location. The wireless transmitter allowsany images and/or video taken by the camera assembly and related data(e.g., GPS data about the location of the firearm) to be automaticallytransferred via, for example, an encrypted Bluetooth connection, to amobile application on a mobile phone or other smart device for recordkeeping purposes. Each image/video is also automatically dated andtimestamped when captured, up to the millisecond. While this applicationmakes specific reference to a handgun throughout, it is alsocontemplated that the sight post camera system of the present inventioncan be applied to other types of firearms, such as rifles/carbines orshotguns in differing embodiments of the device, while maintaining thesame general functional concept and architecture.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein inconnection with the following description and the annexed drawings.These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various waysin which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and is intendedto include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages andnovel features will become apparent from the following detaileddescription when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a partial perspective view of one possible embodimentof the firearm front sight post camera system of the present inventionmounted to a handgun in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close up perspective view of the embodiment of thefirearm front sight post camera system depicted in FIG. 1 , and inaccordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of amobile application on a smartphone displaying a photograph taken by thefirearm front sight post camera system of the present invention inaccordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of thefirearm front sight post camera system of the present inventionintegrated into a handgun in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional perspective view of one embodimentof the firearm front sight post camera system of the present inventionmounted to a handgun in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofthe firearm front sight post camera system of the present invention inthe form of a rifle/carbine style sight in accordance with the disclosedarchitecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, whereinlike reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovationcan be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form inorder to facilitate a description thereof.

As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improvedfirearm front sight post camera system that allows the full situationalconditions/context of a deadly force encounter to be fully andobjectively documented and realized at the instant in which the firearmis discharged, and for every instant that the firearm is subsequentlydischarged thereafter via high quality photographs/film. There alsoexists a long felt need in the art for an improved firearm front sightpost camera system that requires no input from the user in order to beactuated, and that documents each instance in which the firearm isdischarged. Finally, there exists a long felt need in the art for animproved firearm front sight post camera system that allows thephotographs/film/data documented to easily be transferred to a mobilephone or other smart device for record keeping or evidence purposes,preferably in an encrypted manner.

The present invention in one embodiment can take the form of a standardfront sight post of a pistol or handgun and having a camera assemblyintegrated therein. The camera assembly is automatically activated viaan actuation mechanism in mechanical or electrical connection with thetrigger of the firearm. More specifically, the camera assembly is onlyactivated during the pulling of the trigger of the firearm, andspecifically when the trigger wall has been reached just prior todischarge of the firearm. By way of background, the trigger wall isdefined within the firearm industry as the point where the triggeraction first engages the resistance of the sear. At this point, thetrigger has been squeezed and has moved, but the firearm has not yetbeen fired. Once the trigger wall has been reached, a user must increasethe amount of pulling force on the trigger via the user's trigger fingerto overcome the resistance and fire the weapon. Between the trigger wallbeing met and the trigger being fully pulled, the camera is activatedvia a mechanical connection between the camera and trigger assembly andbegins to take, for example, a rapid burst of images, a single image, ora video, with all options being configurable by the user in the settingsof the mobile application that is in communication with the cameraassembly. Additionally, the camera assembly is further comprised of aBluetooth or other wireless transmitter and GPS unit that is mountedwithin the frame of the pistol or handgun. The transmitter is preferablyin electrical communication with the camera assembly, and allows theimages/videos from the camera and GPS data to be automaticallytransmitted in a secure, encrypted, and time-stamped manner to themobile application, which can run on a mobile phone or other smartdevice.

Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspectiveview of one possible embodiment of the firearm front sight post camerasystem 100 of the present invention mounted to a firearm 10. By way ofbackground, and as best illustrated in FIGS. 3B and 4 , firearm 10 maybe any type of firearm currently known in the art such as a handgun,pistol, rifle, shotgun, etc., but is preferably a handgun, such as thetype typically issued to law enforcement officers. Generally stated,handgun 10 is comprised of a frame 12, a slide assembly 14 having a topsurface 140, a trigger assembly 15, a barrel 16, a spring loadedammunition clip 17, a recoil spring 18 and a hammer 19, all of whichfunction as is known in the art.

The sight post camera system 100 of the present invention is preferablycomprised of a front sight post 110, a camera assembly 130, and atransmitter 170. Front sight post 110 is preferably identical in formand dimensions to traditional front sight posts, and is generallycylindrical is shape and comprised of a top surface 111, a bottomsurface 113, opposing sides surfaces 115, a front 117 and rear 119.Front sight post 110 may be mounted to the top surface 140 of the slideassembly 14 of handgun 10 in a similar fashion as those front sightposts of the prior art, provided that both the front sight post and thetop surface 140 of slide assembly have openings therein (not shown) toaccommodate the mechanical or electrical interaction (e.g., wiring 150)between trigger assembly 15 and camera assembly 130, as explained morefully below. Further, the rear 119 of the front sight post 110 ispreferably identical in appearance to a traditional front sight post,thereby not eliminating the ability for the front sight post 110 tofunction as intended, and allowing a user to more successfully aim andfire the handgun 10.

As best shown in FIG. 2 , the front surface 117 of the front sight post110 is further comprised of an opening therein to accommodate cameraassembly or system 130. The camera system 130 is preferably comprised ofa protective bezel 132, a protective outer lens 134, and a camera lens136, but may also be comprised of a memory 137 and a processor 138.Camera system 130 is preferably secured to, and may extend slightlybeyond, the front surface 117 via protective bezel 132, which is alsointegrally comprised of protective outer lens 134. More specifically,the protective bezel 132 protects the camera system 130 from becomingdislodged from the front sight post 110 during firing of the handgun 10and the recoil associated therewith, and the protective outer lens 134protects the camera 130 from being covered with gunshot powder and/orresidue. It is further contemplated that the protective outer lens 134may be further comprised of a gunshot powder/residue resistant coatingthat is integrally formed to the lens 134 during the manufacturingprocess, with said coating inhibiting any and all potential build-up ofgun powder residue on the surface of the protective outer lens 134,thereby ensuring that the camera system 130 has an unobstructed view ofthe events unfolding before it, particularly at the moment of firearmdischarge.

The inner camera lens 136 functions as the main lens for the camera 130,and is similar to those camera lens of the prior art. Further, camerasystem 130, once activated, is capable of capturing photos and/or video,as preselected by the user via a mobile application 32 on a smart phoneor other device, as is described more fully below. Memory 137 may be anyform of memory device known in the art for receiving and storing datasuch as, but not limited to, the photos and/or video captured by thecamera system 130, time and date information, the identity of the userof the handgun 10, etc. Likewise, processor 138 may be any knownprocessor for processing data and/or instructions including, for exampleand without limitation, those commands that may be received from themobile application 32 on smart device 30.

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of asmart device 30 having a mobile application 32 for displaying aphotograph, video and/or data taken or gathered by the firearm frontsight post camera system 100 of the present invention in accordance withthe disclosed architecture. More specifically, the mobile application 32may be comprised of a plurality of features that includes, withoutlimitation, the ability to allow the user to change the specific type ofrecording that takes place by camera system 130. For example, the user(not shown) may select between a singular photo, a rapid burst ofphotos, or a video, all of which are actuated by each pull of thetrigger assembly 15 of handgun 10, as will be explained in greaterdetail below. The mobile application 32 may also provide a means totransfer images/video/data from the camera assembly 130 or the memory137 to the smart device 30, which may be a smart phone, a computer, orany smart device of the like, by, for example a wireless Bluetoothconnection. More specifically, the mobile application 32 may connect toa Bluetooth or other wireless transmitter 170 having an antenna 172 thatmay be stored in the frame 12 of the handgun 10, wherein the transmitter170 is further connected to the camera 130. Once connected via Bluetoothor other wireless technology to the transmitter 170, the mobileapplication 32 of smart device 30 will be able to receive theimages/videos/data from the sight post camera system 100, preferably inan encrypted and secure connection and with each image/video beingtime-stamped with the date and time (inhours/minutes/seconds/milliseconds). This secure and encryptedconnection ensures that the images/videos from the sight post camerasystem 100 cannot be hacked and/or subsequentially altered by the useror a third party. It is also contemplated that the capturedimages/videos/data could be transferred elsewhere, such as to lawenforcement, internal affairs, the FBI, etc.

FIG. 3B illustrates a perspective view of one possible embodiment of thefirearm front sight post camera system 100 of the present inventionintegrated into a handgun in accordance with the disclosed architecture,wherein the sight camera system 100 is integrated into a front sightpost 110 of a handgun 10. As described above, handgun 10 is comprised offrame 12, slide assembly 14, trigger assembly 15 for actuating camerasystem 130 via actuation mechanism 142, barrel 16, spring loadedammunition clip 17, recoil spring 18 and hammer 19.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the frontsight post camera system 100 of the present invention mounted to ahandgun 10 while also displaying how the camera assembly 130 of thesight post system 100 interacts with the trigger assembly 16 of thehandgun 10. More specifically, the camera assembly 130 is automaticallyactuated by the pulling of the trigger 15, when said trigger 15 reachesthe point of the trigger wall. Once the trigger wall has been reached,the actuation mechanism 142, which may be in the form of a sensor, amechanical connection or electrical connection (e.g., via wiring 150),activates the camera 130 which will, in turn, automatically capturewhatever form of images/video the user has selected via the mobileapplication 32 in the instant before the handgun 10 is fired. Theactuation mechanism 142 thereby provides an accurate and objectiveimage/video of what was observed by the user of the handgun 10 as he orshe begins to fire the weapon. In addition, the actuation mechanism 142repeatedly activates the camera assembly 130 for every trigger pullthereafter, thereby allowing for the conditions/factors presentbefore/during each shot to be accounted for and documented in memory 137and/or smart device 30.

FIG. 4 also displays the path of the electrical connection 150 thatconnects the camera 130 to the Bluetooth transmitter 170, which ispreferably positioned behind/near the recoil spring 18 of the handgun10, or at another convenient location. More specifically, it iscontemplated that wiring 150 may run from the trigger 15 to theactuation mechanism 142 to the camera 130 (and its processor) and thento the transmitter 170, all of which may be powered by a micro-battery(e.g., watch, cell-phone or hearing aid battery) that may be wired orwirelessly rechargeable. The Bluetooth transmitter 170 may also doubleas a GPS unit that is capable of recording the location of firearm 10 atthe moment of its discharge, and transmitting such data along with thephotos or videos captured by the camera 130 to the mobile application 32on smart device 30, or to a third party such as law enforcement,internal affairs, the FBI, etc.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative embodiment ofthe firearm front sight post camera system 100 of the present inventionin the form of a rifle/carbine style sight in accordance with thedisclosed architecture. More specifically, it is contemplated that thefront sight post camera system 100 may be adapted in differingembodiments to be used in conjunction with other firearm front sightposts. Said front sight posts may include, without limitation, the A2front sight post 40 of an AR-15, which is the typical duty rifle used bya wide variety of law enforcement agencies. In this embodiment, allaspects of the sight post camera system 100 and its function are thesame as described above, with the camera 130 being mounted in the frontsurface 42 of the A2 front sight post 40. More specifically, thisembodiment of the sight post camera system 100 is comprised of allelements of the former embodiment, namely: (a) a camera 130 that isfurther comprised of protective bezel 132, protective outer lens 134,and camera lens 136; (b) a mechanical camera actuation mechanism 142that is connected to both the camera 130 of the A2 front sight post 40,as well as the trigger of the rifle/carbine (not shown) and is activatedonce the trigger reaches the trigger wall each and every time that thetrigger is pulled; and (c) an electrical communication 150 between theBluetooth or other wireless transmitter 170 and camera 130 (not shown).

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the improved firearm front sight postsystem 100 can be any suitable size, shape, and configuration as isknown in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention,provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the shape and size of thesystem 100 and its various components, as shown in the FIGS. are forillustrative purposes only, and that many other shapes and sizes of thesystem 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Althoughdimensions of the system 100 and its components (i.e., length, width,and height) are important design parameters for good performance, thesystem 100 and may be any shape or size that ensures optimal performanceduring use and/or that suits user need and/or preference. This includesthe shape/type of front sight post 110, which may differ in differingembodiments of the system 100 as required by the firearm that the system100 is being used in conjunction with.

What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subjectmatter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivablecombination of components or methodologies for purposes of describingthe claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimedsubject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter isintended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variationsthat fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in eitherthe detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising”is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A front sight post camera system for a firearmhaving a trigger, wherein the front sight post camera system comprises:a front sight post; a camera assembly attached to the front sight post;an actuation mechanism in communication with the trigger and the cameraassembly, wherein the actuation mechanism activates the camera assemblyeach time the trigger is pulled.
 2. The front sight post camera systemof claim 1 further comprising a wireless transmitter and a GPS unit. 3.The front sight post camera system of claim 2, wherein the wirelesstransmitter is housed in a frame of the firearm.
 4. The front sight postcamera system of claim 2, wherein the wireless transmitter wirelesslytransmits an image taken by the camera assembly to a remote device. 5.The front sight post camera system of claim 4, wherein the wirelesstransmission of the image taken by the camera assembly to the remotedevice is encrypted.
 6. The front sight post camera system of claim 4,wherein the image taken by the camera assembly is date and time stamped.7. The front sight post camera system of claim 1 further comprising amemory and a processor.
 8. The front sight post camera system of claim1, wherein the camera assembly comprises a protective bezel, an outerlens and a camera lens.
 9. The front sight post camera system of claim1, wherein the actuation mechanism is a sensor that is wired to thecamera assembly.
 10. The front sight post camera system of claim 2,wherein the wireless transmitter further comprises an antenna.
 11. Thefront sight post camera system of claim 2, wherein the camera assemblyis capable of operating in more than one mode.
 12. The front sight postcamera system of claim 11, wherein the mode of operation of the cameraassembly is controlled by a mobile application on a smart device. 13.The front sight post camera system of claim 11, wherein the mode ofoperation is a selectable one of: (a) a single photo; (b) a burst ofphotos; and (c) a video.
 14. A front sight post camera system for afirearm having a trigger, wherein the front sight post camera systemcomprises: a front sight post; a camera assembly; an actuationmechanism; a wireless transmitter; a GPS unit; and a mobile applicationfor installation on a remote smart device, wherein the actuationmechanism activates the camera assembly to produce an image each timethe trigger is pulled and the wireless transmitter automatically sendsthe image to the smart device.
 15. The front sight post camera system ofclaim 14, wherein the transmission of the image taken by the cameraassembly to the remote device is encrypted and the image is date andtime stamped.
 16. The front sight post camera system of claim 14,wherein the camera assembly comprises a protective bezel, an outer lensand a camera lens.